Dissolution of double Holliday junctions by the concerted action of BLM and topoisomerase IIIalpha

Methods Mol Biol. 2009:582:91-102. doi: 10.1007/978-1-60761-340-4_8.

Abstract

In eukaryotic cells, topoisomerase III forms an evolutionarily conserved complex with a RecQ family helicase and two OB-fold containing proteins, replication protein A (RPA) and RMI1. One role for this complex is to catalyze the completion of homologous recombination reactions in which the recombining DNA molecules are covalently interlinked by a double Holliday junction structure. This process, which requires the single-stranded DNA decatenation activity of topoisomerase III, is termed Holliday junction "dissolution" to distinguish it from Holliday junction "resolution" catalyzed by endonucleases (resolvases) that simply cleave the four-way junction. Holliday junction dissolution gives rise exclusively to non-cross-over recombinant products, which would have the effect of suppressing sister chromatid exchanges and loss of heterozygosity between homologous chromosomes. In this chapter, we provide a detailed experimental protocol for the preparation of an oligonucleotide-based, double Holliday junction substrate and for the biochemical analysis of dissolution in vitro.

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type I / metabolism*
  • DNA, Cruciform / metabolism*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Oligonucleotides / genetics
  • Oligonucleotides / metabolism
  • RecQ Helicases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA, Cruciform
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Oligonucleotides
  • RMI1 protein, human
  • Bloom syndrome protein
  • RecQ Helicases
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type I